37 o CARNIVORES. 



With regard to the method in which lions kill and carry off the larger animals 

 upon which they prey, it may be observed, in the first place, that there is some 

 doubt whether death is effected by dislocating the neck of the victim, as is always 

 done by tigers. Mr. Blanford states that in a cow killed by a lion in Abyssinia 

 the vertebra of the neck were not dislocated ; and that he also saw a lioness hold 

 a camel for several minutes without attempting to break its neck. Mr. Selous is of 

 opinion that lions have not one universal way of killing their prey, but they vary 

 it according to circumstances. Thus he relates how he has seen a horse, a young 

 elephant, and two antelopes killed by a bite in the throat ; while he has also known 

 instances of horses and zebras being killed by a bite on the back of the neck 

 behind the head. Buffaloes, he believes, are sometimes killed by a dislocation of 

 the neck, which is effected by " the lion springing on to their shoulders, and then 

 seizing their noses with one paw, giving the neck a sudden wrench." 



It was formerly a prevalent notion that lions were in the habit of carrying off 

 the carcases of large animals, like oxen and buffaloes, by throwing them over their 

 back and walking bodily away with them. All recent observers are, however, 

 agreed that this is by no means a correct statement, and that their invariable 

 practice is to transport such carcases by dragging them along the ground. Mr. 

 Selous states that in this manner lions carry off not only the bodies of the 

 larger animals, like buffaloes, but also those of the smaller antelopes ; and he adds 

 that a South African lion would, in his opinion, be quite incapable of lifting a 

 buffalo from the ground, much less of leaping over a fence with it, as the lion of 

 North Africa has been alleged to do. In referring to an instance of this nature 

 when a North African lion was reported to have leaped over the thorn fence which 

 formed a protection to a camp, and, after seizing a full-grown ox, bounded back 

 with its victim, Sir Samuel Baker writes as follows : " In the confusion of a night 

 attack the scare is stupendous, and no person would be able to declare that he 

 actually saw the lion jump the fence with the bullock in its grip. It might appear 

 to do this, but the ox would struggle violently, and in this struggle it would most 

 probably burst through the fence, and subsequently be dragged away by the lion. 

 ... It is quite a mistake to suppose that a lion can carry a full-grown ox ; it will 

 partially lift the fore-quarter, and drag the carcase along the ground." 



It is stated that the usual pace of a lion when undisturbed is a walk, but even 

 then, from the length of his stride, he gets over the ground quicker than appears to 

 be the case. When going more rapidly, Mr. Selous says that he has never seen a 

 lion bound, but that they come along at a clumsy gallop, somewhat after the 

 manner of a dog, getting over the ground very quickly. 



In regard to the ferocity or otherwise of the lion's disposition, very conflicting 

 statements will be found in the writings of different observers. Thus, whereas 

 Livingstone states that nothing would lead him to attribute to the lion either the 

 ferocious or noble character ascribed to it by others, Sir Samuel Baker is disposed 

 to take a rather opposite view, observing that, although he does not consider the 

 lion to be either so formidable or so ferocious as the tiger, yet there is no reason 

 for despising an animal which has been respected from the most remote antiquity. 



All writers appear, however, to be agreed that, as a general rule (although 

 there are exceptions), a lion will not go out of his way to make an unprovoked 



